Checkout counter system



Jan. 13, 1953 G. T. sMm-a 2,625,241

cascxou'r COUNTER SSTEM Filed March 28, 1949 INVENTOR. Gnome T. SMITH A 7'TORNEV Paiented Jan. 13, 1953 CHECKOUT COUNTER SYSTEM George T. Smith, Lansing, Mich., assignor to George T. Smith, Inc., Lansing, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application March 28, 1949, Serial No. 83,838

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a checkout counter system embodying a particular arrangement of platforms for the distribution and sorting of merchandise, and permitting the use of a novel method of handling purchased articles for sorting, checking and packing, particularly, but not exclusively adapted for use in food stores of the super-market type.

In a large number of stores, markets, and the like, of the self-serve type, the purchaser selects the merchandise and carries the goods to a cashier where the latter sorts the goods, computes the total cost and receives the cash. Often the cashier is required to package the goods for the purchaser. This requires considerable time and delay in service to the customer. In larger stores, several stations have been provided to speed up the time consumed in the checking out process. However, this requires considerable floor space and additional help which adds to the overhead cost and, in addition, has been found to be very ineflicient from the standpoint of the time consumed in the operation.

The present invention is designed to provide an efficient checkout counter system in which the various work operations are broken down into individually specialized operations which are performed by qualified operators at each of several stations which cooperate to produce the checkout counter system disclosed herein.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an etficient checkout counter system, particularly adapted for use in stores of the super-market or self-service type and in which the steps in the checkout operation are separately performed by specialized operators whose efforts are coordinated by said system to effect an emcient and rapid checkout of each customer, thus giving better service to the customer while permitting a greater number of customers to be checked out with greater accuracy in a given time interval than is possible with conventional checking out operations.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a single counter having movable belt conveyors upon which the merchandise is sorted, checked and priced during its continuous movement. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a single counter having multiple stations permitting freedom of movement for each operator and to provide separate operators for each station, cooperating with each other, to perform the necessary operations required in checking out quantities of merchandise in a rapid, efiicient and economical manner.

- Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved counter showing the several stations.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the counter illustrating diagrammatically the position of the operators in handling the merchandise.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, I have shown a counter having two main sections 10 and I2, an end section M which may be referred to as the unloading station, and an opposite end section l6 which may be referred to as the packing station.

The two counter sections l0 and I2 have their upper surfaces provided with movable conveyors l8 and 20. These conveyors are arranged end to end and in close proximity. A stationary gap plate 22 overlies the space between the adjacent ends of the conveyors. This gap plate 22 serves as a bridge for transferring the merchandise from one conveyor to the other. The conveyor belts are preferably driven by electric motors and the current is supplied through switches controlled by the switch actuating members 24 and 26; there being one for each counter section It and [2. Th movable bars 2d and 26 extend substantially the full length of each counter so that either bar can be manipulated by the operater at any position along the counter. The conveyors l8 and 29 are independently operated so that one or both may be moving depending upon the requirement of the operators.

The unloader station [4 is arranged adjacent one end of the counter in and is shown having a plurality of sorting bins or compartments 28, 3t and 32. The sorting bins have their bottom surfaces in the form of a ramp, slanting downwardly from the unloading end toward the conveyor l8 so that merchandise in the bins is assisted by gravity in feeding onto the conveyor I8. The bins are formed by side walls 34 and partitions 36 on the bottom surface. Three bins are shown, two lateral and a central bin which is in alignment with the conveyor [8.

The partitions 36 which are located between the lateral bins 28 and 32 each are provided with swinging gates 38 having a length greater than the width of the central bins 30. By this arrangement one gate can be positioned to form a continuation of one partition so that one of the bins is a confined compartment. The other gate can be swung to close off the center bin and open the other lateral bin. This arrangement permits any one of the bins to open onto the conveyor belt and maintain the other two bins closed.

Each purchaser, or an unloading operator, places one lot of merchandise in each one of the bins and the gates are alternatelyswung to permit easy travel of the goods from one bin to the conveyor and yet maintain segregation of the groups of merchandise.

Referring to Fig. 2, I have designated an operators station by the letter A. This station may be referred to as the sorter. Here the goods from one bin are sorted on the moving conveyor and arranged according to designated classifications, such as, meats, vegetables, dairy products, canned goods, etc.

Another operator is designated by the letter B. This is referred to as the caller. The checker station is designated by the letter C. The caller and checker cooperate in pricing anddesignating the cost of the merchandise in each group. The checker is positioned at the forward end of the second conveyor 20 and operates a computing and price indicating machine such as an adding machine 40. As the caller prices each article passing along the counter, the price is checked and printed on a tape by the checker. Since the caller is free to move along the length of the conveyor, an inter-communicating system between the caller and the checker is provided. A telephone system comprising interconnected head sets 80, each having a receiver and transmitter. One head set is provided for the caller and one for the checker. This permits the caller to move the lengthof the sorting and checking counter and still maintain direct communication at all times with the checker. The goods, after being sorted, are priced and called to the checker who tallies the merchandise on the machine 40, after which the printed tape showing the total price is placed on the conveyor along with the group of goods previously arranged by the sorter. This system, together with a control for the speed of the conveyor permits sufficient time for the operators to sort and call out the prices to the checker who can then check the articles and tally the cost.

After the goods have been sorted, checked and the total bill computed, the'conveyo-r carries the goods and tape to the cash'station D. At this station I have indicated a cash register 42 atwhich a cashier reads and checks the price tape previously placed with the goods, receives the money from the purchaser, deposits the money in the register and makes the necessary'ch'ange. The goods remain on the moving conveyor a'ndduring this operation move to'th'epacking station E. Thus, from the timethe goods are'deposit'ed in the bins of the unloading station, they arei'n'motion'throughout the checking'out rocess without delay at any station.

It'may be found desirable toreduce'thenumber of operators .by havingone operator performthe operations of two. For example, the sorte may act as caller, thus eliminating one of the stations A or B. The number of stations, herein's'hown and described, is intended for peak sales during rush conditions.

At the terminal end of the conveyor, the end section (6 may be defined as a packingstation E where one or more operators pack the merchandise for each customer into individual bags or containers and delivers them to the customer.

The section I6 is generally similar'to theend section 14 in that it is also provided with 'a sloping bottom and bins 46, 4'8 and 59. The bins are provided with the swinging gates 52 for separating the bins into individual compartments and for directing the goods from the conveyor into any selected bin. Platforms 54 serve assup'ports for bags during the packing operation.

The entire operation has been designed to speed up the checking out operation. This has been accomplished by the freedom of movement of the sorter and caller along amovable conveyo to work with the flow of merchandise onthe counter.

4 The provision of a plurality of unloading stations and a plurality of packing stations makes possible an increased volume of goods flowing over the counter.

Since the caller, checker and cashier each have "an opportunity to check the individual items and prices, errors in prices, tabulation and totaling are therefore reduced to a minimum, particularly, since, with'the present system, each of these operations is highly specialized and the total volume of goods handled by the system is such as to justify the employment of highly skilled operators at these positions, while employing relatively less skilled operators at the unloading and packing stations.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various changes in the arrangement of parts and sequence of operation may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A checkout counter for checking out merchandise comprising a longitudinally extending counter, a first conveyer belt for receiving merchandise thereon forming the upper surface of the forward end of said counter, a second conveyer belt forming the upper surface of the rear end of said counter and arranged to form a longitudinal extension of said first conveyer belt so that it can receive merchandise discharged from said first conveyer belt, a stationary plate extending between adjacent ends of said conveyer belts, independent means for selectively operating said conveyer belts so that either belt may be stopped while the other continues to translate merchandise carried thereon, a merchandise plat form at the forward end of said first conveyer belt for discharging merchandise onto said belt and having at least one swinging member pivotally mounted thereon for directing separate groups of merchandise onto said first conveyer belt, and a second platform at the rear end of said second conveyer belt for receiving merchandise translated by said belts and having at least one swinging member pivotally mounted thereon for directing merchandise selectively to one side or the other thereof.

'2. A checkout counter for checking out merchandise comprising a longitudinally extending counter, a first conveyer belt for receiving merchandise thereon forming the upper surface of the forward end of said counter, a second conveyer belt forming the upper surface of the rear end of said counter and arranged to form a longitudinal extension of said first conveyer belt so that it can receive merchandise discharged from said first conveyer belt, a stationary plate extending between adjacent ends of said conveyer belts, a merchandise loading platform at the rear end of said second conveyer belt forreceiving merchandise translated by said belts, said platform having a slanting top surface and at least one swinging member pivotally mounted thereon for directing merchandise selectively to one side or the other thereof, and independent means for operating the conveyer belts so that in the event the first conveyer belt is stopped the second conveyer belt can continue to discharge the merchandise carried thereon onto saidplatform.

3. A checkout counter forchecking out merchandise comprising a longitudinally/extending counter having first and second conveyer belts in an end to end relationship forming the upper surface of said counter, said first conveyer belt being adapted to receive merchandise thereon and to translate the same to said second conveyer belt, the second conveyer belt being adapted to receive the merchandise from the first conveyer belt and to translate the same to its other end to be discharged, a merchandise platform at the discharge end of said second conveyer belt having walls forming a plurality of compartments on its upper surface and a swinging gate for directing merchandise discharged from said second conveyer belt into one or another of said compartments, and independent means for operating said belts so that said first conveyer belt may be stopped while the second conveyer belt continues to discharge merchandise thereon into a selected compartment.

4. A checkout counter for checking out merchandise comprising a longitudinally extending counter having first and second conveyer belts in an end to end relationship forming the upper surface of said counter, said first conveyer belt being adapted to receive merchandise thereon and to translate the same to said second conveyer belt, the second conveyer belt being adapted to receive the merchandise from the first conveyer belt and to translate the same to its other end to REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,403,053 Myers Jan. 10, 1922 1,705,406 Haynes et al Mar. 12, 1929 2,237,080 Muse Apr. 1, 1941 2,276,294 Farmer Mar. 17, 1942 2,292,615 Corbell Aug. 11, 1942 2,317,438 Bradley Apr. 27, 1943 2,536,961 Smith Jan. 2, 1951 2,560,490 Smith July 10, 1951 

